Watch This LS7-Powered Mazda Miata Hit 187 MPH on the Autobahn: Track Time Tuesday
With over 500 horsepower on tap, this Mazda Miata RF doesn’t have enough road to reach its full potential.
The Mazda Miata has long been a favorite among enthusiasts, offering up an affordable, two-seat roadster with rear-wheel drive and a manual gearbox to boot – a combination that just isn’t terribly common in today’s boring, crossover-filled world. There’s just one tiny problem with the Miata, at least for those of us that feed on power – it doesn’t have much, with the most recent gen cranking out 181 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque from its 2.0-liter four-cylinder powerplant. And that’s precisely what prompted the owner of this Mazda Miata – YouTuber EVOVIISWE – to give it new life with an LS swap.
This particular Mazda Miata is an RF (Retractable Fastback) model, which means that it only weighs a little over 2,400 pounds in stock form, which is a touch heavier than the regular convertible variant, but also quite svelte by modern automotive standards. Regardless, this example has been treated to a massive infusion of power in the form of an LS7 V8, which cranks out a healthy yet not too over-the-top 514 horsepower and 498 pound-feet of torque.
That gives this little Miata one heck of a power-to-weight ratio, as one might imagine. It’s also fitted with a proper six-speed manual transmission for maximum fun, as we can see in this video. After a casual stroll down the Autobahn, this V8 Miata effortlessly works its way up to a top speed of 187.4 miles-per-hour, which is incredibly impressive.
Of course, the Miata wasn’t exactly designed to reach these sorts of speeds, and that much was evident in the first Autobahn run it was submitted to when the windshield trim flew off at 178 mph. Regardless, it also appears that the owner simply ran out of road during his follow-up that crested the 187 mark, as he notes that the car was still gaining speed when he had to let off.
We imagine that there’s a more powerful and potentially faster Miata out there in the world, but regardless, this build is undoubtedly impressive, and we’ll be staying tuned to see if the owner can find a longer stretch of road and really let it reach its full potential.
Join the LS1Tech forums now!
